


Four Halves, One Heart

by artem_ace



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Road Trip, F/F, F/M, High School, M/M, Past Jason Grace/Piper McLean, Slow Burn, jason and percy are 17, jercy - Freeform, latino!percy, piper annabeth and leo are all 18
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2017-02-18
Packaged: 2018-09-11 12:29:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8979775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artem_ace/pseuds/artem_ace
Summary: Jason Grace, Piper Mclean, Leo Valdez, and Percy Jackson. Four teens. 1,300 miles. One unforgettable road trip. When Percy Jackson moves to a new high school in his senior year, he doesn’t expect to make friends easily. And he definitely doesn’t expect a friend like Jason Grace. Fast forward 6 months and he’s joining his new friends on a road trip from New York to Miami to attend a music festival. Along the way, the group encounter a variety of situations that introduce new experiences and test relationships. Slowburn!jercy, fluff, drama, lil bit of angst. enjoy :3





	1. Percy I

**Author's Note:**

> Ayeeee thanks for reading!
> 
> More info on the fic: POV is third person but is centered around diff ppl either Jason, Percy, Piper, or Leo, similar to how HoO works. 
> 
> Main ship is Jercy since they both have POV's but the fic is supposed to be more centered around the relationships between all four of the friends. Pipabeth will occur later and Leo has a ldr w a character who doesn't exist bc i'm not a fan of caleo sorry to disappoint anyone ://
> 
> Anyway updates after this will typically be thursdays unless otherwise specified and I have a playlist for the fic that will be updated before the release of each chapter. You can find that playlist [here](https://open.spotify.com/user/dianathehuntrr/playlist/2fqeipSbgfNxJfwhJf9uV9). If you don't want to listen to the full playlist but are curious about the songs for this chapter they are [Sleep on the Floor](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4pi1LxuDHc) by The Lumineers and [Friday I'm in Love](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wa2nLEhUcZ0) by The Cure. 
> 
> Enjoy!

It was Friday and the toaster was broken. Well, not broken per se, it was toasting just fine. Begging the toaster to release its hold on the already blackened bread was what was presenting a bit of difficulty.

Percy tried again to maneuver the slice of bread from the clutches of the appliance to no avail. The bread (it was the _heel_ of the bread mind you. Not worth the effort it was taking to rescue) was stuck and Percy’s sore fingers had had enough.

In a fit of frustration Percy hit the toaster with a closed fist, causing it to fly off the counter and onto the floor. Upon striking the tile, the toaster made a small noise of indignation and released its captive. The toast was beyond burnt, but at least it was out.

 _About time_ , Percy thought to himself, kneeling to clean up the mess he’d made. He used both hands to lift the appliance back onto the counter. It was heavier than he had anticipated.

“Percy?”

He whirled around to find his step dad, Paul, standing in the doorway, a Garfield mug in his hands that read _‘i hate mondays!’_ Paul’s gaze shifted from the toast on the floor to the empty counter before finally landing on the toaster still in Percy’s arms.

“I think we need a new toaster,” Percy muttered, setting the toaster in its rightful place and plugging it in. “This one sucks.”

“I can see that.” Paul made his way over to the burnt toast and leaned down to inspect it.

He pinched a corner between his index finger and thumb and picked the toast up. A sigh escaped him as blackened crumbs fell from the object.

“How about I make some eggs?” he suggested.

Percy went to get a broom to sweep up the pile of slaughtered toast crumbs. The cleaning supplies were held in the hallway closet, a cabinet above the air conditioning unit. While finding the broom was easy, the dustpan presented a problem. After a few minutes of rummaging through plastic bags, old rags, and various containers of liquid, Percy finally located the offending item hiding under a shirt that had no business being there.

When he returned to the kitchen, he found Paul gathering boxes from one of the cabinets.

“We seem to be out of eggs,” he confessed apologetically, laying out the boxes on the counter for Percy to see. “So I guess today is going to be a cereal day.”

Percy picked up the box of the generic ‘Toasty Oats’. “Well, cereal is the coolest anyway. We do have milk, right?”

A panicked look crossed Paul’s features as he opened the door to the refrigerator.

He returned from the cold appliance with a successful grin on his face and a half gallon of milk in his grasp.

“Ta-da!” He presented the jug with a flourish, setting it on the counter. Percy hid a smirk behind the bowl he had acquired from the sink. He washed it out, along with two spoons and an additional bowl for Paul.

“You’re up early,” Paul commented after they sat down to eat. Both of them were already dressed and ready for school, Percy in a simple blue v-neck and his favorite pair of skinny jeans, and Paul in a button down and slacks.

Going to the same school his stepfather taught at should have been weird, but it wasn’t. Paul was a really cool guy and taught freshman English, an honorable feat considering how few people were willing to take the job. Because they moved to Manhattan the summer prior to Percy’s senior year, his parents allowed him to take the subway to avoid the embarrassment of riding to school with his step dad who just happened to double as ‘the hot new teacher.’

“It’s Friday, remember? Jason and I take the early train.” It was a custom for Percy to get to school early on Fridays to hold a small concert for the underclassmen who idolized him. As strange as it was to have so called ‘perfans’ (they came up with it, not him), it was a lot of fun performing and really good practice. Not that Percy believed he could actually become a famous musician, playing the guitar was just a fun hobby, but according to his ‘fans’ he wasn’t terrible at it (he could use some work on his vocal skills but he got by for now.)

Paul gave him a look at the mention of Jason’s name. “How is Jason by the way? I haven’t seen him in _at least_ 3 days. Did something happen?” 

It was a well known fact in the Jackson-Blofis household that Jason Grace was an honorary member of the family. He spent more time at Percy’s house than he did his own, something Percy’s parents commented on with sly grins and shared glances.

“His boss is pushing him like crazy this week since he asked off for Spring Break. I swear Jason hasn’t been able to _sleep_ , let alone hang out. Between school, and homework, and _actual_ work, I’ve barely been able to talk to him.”

Jason and Percy met through Piper on the first day of school after she rescued Percy from the mystery meat in the school’s cafeteria. The blond had offered him half of his lunch and since then, their relationship grew incredibly close incredibly fast. Percy had never had a best friend before, and after finding one in Jason, missing out on the boy’s company for any amount of time was absolute torture.

Paul threw him a sympathetic glance as he polished off the remainder of his cereal and rinsed his bowl off in the sink.

“My condolences,” he offered, “but at least you have all of next week with him. You excited about the trip?”

“Oh, _god,_ yes!”

Every year Jason, Piper, and their best friend Leo went on a road trip to Miami for the Miami Heatwave Festival. And this year, they’d invited Percy to join them. Three days there, three back, four teenagers, one van, and no adult supervision. His mom and Paul had been hesitant to the idea when he first mentioned it, but weeks of begging and having Piper and Leo come over along with Jason had convinced them that Percy was ready to handle vacationing on his own.

When Percy dropped his dishes into the sink, he noticed the clock. Oh, _shit_ , he was late. He rushed into his room and reached into one of his open drawers to pull out a pair of mismatched socks. Attempting to put them on while standing led to a brief lapse in balance and Percy found himself face down on the floor, still trying to wiggle the socks onto his feet. Once successful, he grabbed his old black Vans (the only pair of shoes he owned that weren’t yet packed in his travel bag) and tied them to his feet quickly. He made a quick decision to slip on his hoodie then leapt to his feet.

His duffle bag full of clothes for the trip was on the floor next his unmade bed and he almost tripped on his backpack that was lying in the middle of his doorway. Picking the bag up, he slung it over his shoulder. Then, he headed for the door, almost running into Paul in the process.

“Forgetting something?” Paul held out his guitar case. Percy took it gratefully. “You’re leaving right after school, right?”

Percy nodded. “You gonna miss me, old man?” Paul opened the door with a chuckle.

“No actually, I’ve been waiting for the chance to make you leave for four years,” he replied drily. “Come home in one piece, alright kid? Drive safe, don’t take anything from strangers, and if you need anything… call me, okay?”

“I will,” Percy promised. He turned to leave, but thought better of it and instead wrapped his arms around Paul.

“Thank you.” Paul hugged him back warmly. “Thank you for everything. You mean a lot to mom and me, and I’m really happy to have you in my life.” He pulled away. “And… yeah. I’ll miss you and stuff.”

Paul smiled at him. “You know, there’s an extra seat in my car if you want a ride, for old times?”

“Nah, I’d rather take the subway with Jason. Thanks though.”

With that, he slipped out of the apartment, adjusting his bags to fit through the narrow frame.

“Tell him I said ‘hi’!” Paul called after him.

“Not gonna happen!” Percy yelled back.

“I love you, Perce.”

“Love you too, Paul! Tell Mom the same!”

o0o

The Station was crowded, as always, but Percy managed to squeeze through the masses to get to the turnstile furthest to the left. After checking his balance (8 dollars; enough to get home if anything were to go wrong), he pushed through the bars to stand on the vivid blue platform.

As scheduled, the train arrived at 7:15 and Percy fought through 20 other New Yorkers to get to the front of the train where he knew Jason would be saving a seat. Or trying to anyway. The 7:15 train was less busy than the one they usually took, but seats were still sparse.

Fate smiled down upon Percy today, evident in the empty space beside his best friend. The familiar face of Jason Grace brightened when he locked eyes with him, and Percy did his best to ignore the way his ears tingled and how the corners of his mouth crept up against his will. He sat next to Jason, taking care not to hit the stuffy-looking man next to him with his case. The elderly woman across from him smiled sweetly and Percy gave a small wave in return before falling into the hard plastic seat.

“Hey, you,” he greeted, doing his best to keep his bags out of the way of the other passengers still getting on.

“Morning.” Jason apologized to a very large, very tattooed man who happened to stumble on the strap of Percy’s bag before turning back to Percy himself. “Guess who’s the best friend in the world,” he commanded.

Percy took a minute to mime mulling the question over in his head. “Scooby Doo?” he offered.

“No, you absolute spoon, it’s Jason mcfreakin’ Grace.” He pulled a brown paper bag from his bag. Percy took it from him and set it in his own lap. The bag was warm. Could it be?

“Coffee?”

Jason nodded with a smug expression. He was well aware the perfect way to Percy’s heart was through his caffeine intake.

“Oh my god, Jason you’re the fuc-” _Children are around, Percy,_ he reminded himself. “-you’re so wonderful.” _Nice save._

The coffee has cooled off slightly since Jason bought it, but _god_ , it was exactly what he needed right now. “You’re a lifesaver, really. I was up till almost 3 last night finishing up that paper last night.”

Of course, Ms. Hannigan, the worst English teacher known to man, decided to assign a book report that was due upon the return from Spring Break. Granted, they’d had all semester to work on it, but still, Percy was certain she planned out her lesson plan just to torture her students. _Wuthering Heights_ had been almost impossible to read and the entire project could suck a dick in Percy’s opinion.

At least he had completed it before vacation. Now, all Percy had to do was sit back, relax, and enjoy the trip with his friends. Jason, however–

 _“Crap,”_ he muttered. From the look on his friend’s face Percy could tell he was royally screwed.

“Jason, you didn’t forget-”

“Crap, crap, crap, Percy, I am so, _so_ completely _fucked,”_ Jason realized, dropping his voice a few octaves so as not to be heard by the other passengers. “You might as well bury me right now, write Rest in Peace on my tombstone, and shove a log up my ass, because I’ve never been so completely fucked in the entirety of my existence.”

Percy shifted the coffee into his right hand so he could grab Jason’s hand with the other. “Hey, calm down Jase, it’s fine-”

“Percy, I’m going to have to miss the trip,” Jason cut him off. “We aren’t getting back until next Friday, and there’s no way I can read the book in one weekend, let alone write a report.”

“You can read it on the trip,” Percy suggested. Jason took the book from his hands and flipped through the pages, pursing his lips. Percy studied his movements sympathetically. Reading had never been his strongest skill either, and this book was… vocabulary-oriented to say the least.

Jason dropped the book in his bag with a heavy sigh. “Or I could just drop out of school and join the circus. I could probably walk across a tightrope. What do you think?”

“I think you’re an overdramatic nerd and that our stop is coming up soon.”

Jason glared at him, but there was no ill will behind it. “I guess I can get it done. Thanks for the book, you totally saved my life.”

“What else do you keep me around for?” Percy joked, nudging him lightly with his elbow before resting his head on Jason’s shoulder. Even after the coffee, he was tired, and, well, Jason was comfortable.

“It’s nice to see younger couples caring for each other.” The statement came from the elderly woman Percy had greeted earlier. “I think the older generation is too critical of teenagers. It almost seems as though we’ve all forgotten the days when we were young and in love.” She sighed softly to herself, lost in a personal world of nostalgia.  

“And don’t believe them when they say you can’t love each other properly,” she advised. “Whether you’re a woman who loves a man, or a woman who loves a woman, love is love, is it not? You two are a very sweet couple.”

Jason was the one to correct her. “We, uh, actually- we aren’t a couple.” Percy nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, we’re just friends.” If _just friends_ meant shy smiles and light jokes and late night conversations about the future.

The woman raised an eyebrow. “Is that so? Could’ve fooled me.” The train stopped and everyone around them began to gather their belongings. It was time to leave. Jason and Percy followed suit of the other passengers.

When they made their way out of the station the woman was nowhere to be seen. But her words still echoed Percy’s mind.

_Could’ve fooled me._


	2. Percy II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Follow Percy as he throws a concert, learns more about the previous year's trip, and is forced to endure mindless school-approved movies in his English class. In this chapter, we get to interact more with Leo and Piper, and more gay jercy shit happens bc why not?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys!! look at me updating on time and everything!! hope you enjoy this chapter :3
> 
> Fic playlist has been updated-- it's the same one as before so if you're following it already, you're good but I'll post the link again [here](https://open.spotify.com/user/dianathehuntrr/playlist/2fqeipSbgfNxJfwhJf9uV9). I try to make it so the new songs correspond with the feeling of the next chapter, so it updates might give you a feel of the chapter tone a couple days before the chapter is up? idk up to y'all what to do w it. If you don't care for the whole playlist but are still interested, the chapter songs are [National Anthem](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roNGHinEuBE) by Lana Del Rey and [Heaven Knows](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHBxJCq99jA) by The Pretty Reckless. Enjoy!

The first time Percy had ridden the subway, it had been with his mother at his side. He hadn’t realized that subway doors and elevator doors were entirely different animals, and had almost lost his hand trying to mind his manners and hold the door for an elderly man behind him. Sally had pulled him to safety though, and assuaged his short-lived fear with a warm laugh and a hand on his back, as a guide and a reminder she was with him, every step of the way.

Jason Grace was not Sally Jackson, but he did have the same way of making Percy feel safe and secure. He also had the same way of showing it, a simple mannerism shared by two of the most important people in his life—a hand on the back.

The familiar pressure of Jason’s fingers pressing into the small of Percy’s back shouldn’t have been a big deal. But the words of the woman on the subway made him wonder exactly how platonic the action was. _How long had Jason been comfortable touching him like this? Had his hand always been this low or did it start out around his shoulders and slowly fall to rest on the curve of his spine? What--_

“Woah there, Tiger.” Jason stopped him from running into a freshman with a tug on his shirt. The kid continued running by them without a word. “Wonder where the hell he’s running to?”

“You know freshies, always _way_ too much energy at 8 am.”

“Youth is wasted on the young.”

With an exaggerated sigh, Jason set them back on track to the tables outside the cafeteria. Safe in the knowledge that Jason wouldn’t allow him to trample more freshman, Percy allowed his mind to wander to the guy next to him once again.

This past week had been hell. The prospect of spending an entire week on the road with Jason (and Leo and Piper, of course) after being so starved of his company was almost a dream come true. They hadn’t had a sleepover in almost a week, and Percy very much missed the way Jason’s hair stuck out before he gelled it down for school. Sometimes, after he’d taken a shower and dried his hair, Jason would let Percy comb his fingers through it. Jason’s hair was impossibly soft. _Probably the softest hair in the world,_ Percy thought.

Even softer though, were his hands. Percy had only had the opportunity to hold Jason’s hand once, and he’d give quite a lot for it to happen again. The moment had occurred at the fair in October, only a month or two after he’d met Jason. In a fit of excitement and a momentary lapse of sanity, he’d seen a shark plushie and dragged Jason by the hand to the booth behind him. His intent was to get the shark for himself with his great basketball skills, but Jason insisted on trying his hand at it. After about twelve attempts, Jason had still not gained enough points to get the shark. He did, however, have enough for a small bulbasaur keychain that Percy kept with him at most times.

Percy wondered how Jason would react if he grabbed his hand right now and held it. He wondered if the weight of it in his palm would be as exhilarating as he remembered.

If it weren’t for his guitar case and duffel bag occupying both of his hands, he may have tried it. As it was, there would be no hand holding, but he almost considered making his thoughts known when a shrill voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Percy! Guys! Percy’s here!”

Before he could locate the source of the cry, more voices join in and a mini chant of his own name took up. The chorus comprised his usual Friday audience, 6 to 10 girls, mostly freshman, waiting in anticipation for his next cover of Lady Gaga’s _Poker Face._ Not that all he did was cover Lady Gaga songs, but, well—all he did was cover Lady Gaga songs. To be fair, he never said he considered himself an artist. Even if there was one song he’d written tucked away in the dingy, crumpled pages of a worn out journal. It hadn’t seen the light of day yet, nor would it this morning.

## o0o

After his “performance,” Percy accepted the water bottle Jason held out to him. Despite being kept in Jason’s backpack, the water was cool and soothed his dry throat.

“Thanks, bro.”

Jason smiled and took the bottle back, screwing the cap back on in a swift motion. “Yeah man, no prob.” Next to him, Piper sat atop the table, legs crossed and munching on a bagel. She tore off a piece and handed it to Leo, who wolfed it down eagerly. His nose was happily buried in his phone, his fingers flying rapidly.

“Thank you, Piper,” Piper said, scrunching up her nose. Leo either didn’t hear her or didn’t acknowledge her correction. When he didn’t reply, she nudged his shoulder a little too hard to be considered playful.

“Dude!” Leo snapped without looking up. He had to grab the table to keep from falling onto the ground. Piper just rolled her eyes and offered the remainder of her bagel to Jason.

With his eyes still glued to the screen, Leo nodded his head toward Percy, flashing an impish grin. “Hey, Perce, good set today!”

“Thanks! I thought a little Lana might spice things up a little.” He sat down at the table with them, nudging Jason to make room. Piper offered a bagel bit to Percy, but he turned it down. Sitting next to someone as cute as Jason wasn’t doing much to settle his stomach (although the uneasiness could be due to the cereal from earlier—neither he nor Paul had bothered to check the date on the milk.)

“Anyway, how stoked are you guys for this trip?” Percy asked, swiping a sip of Piper’s orange juice. He cringed at the feeling of pulp running down his throat, but took another sip anyway. Piper took the cup from him with a contrite expression.

“About that…”

Jason raised an eyebrow. “What is it, Pipes?” She bit her lip, a sure sign that the others would not be pleased by what she had to say.

“Okay, I know I kind of assured everyone that the car was available for us, but this morning Jane notified me that _she_ would be taking possession of the car for whatever bullshit reason and it looks like I might not be able to make good on the vehicle part of the trip…”

At that statement, Leo finally looked up from his phone. “So, what I’m getting from this is the road part of our _road_ trip is a no-go?”

“Wait what about your truck?” Jason interjected. “I know it’s not ideal, but we can squeeze in.”

“It’s out of commission right now. I had to borrow the car to get Leo and I to school today, but, you know, Jane.”

Jason considered this for a moment. Even in the midst of a possible crisis, his blue eyes still sparkled. “Percy, do you think you could see if you can borrow the car for the week?” It took Percy a moment to realize Jason was addressing him. He cleared his throat.

“Uh, no. Sally and Paul need it to get around.” As much as he wanted to be of service, there was only one car between the three of them and Percy couldn’t ask his parents to offer up the car for a week-long getaway to South Florida.

“Leo?” Jason tried. “Anything that moves— please. I need to get out of the house this week, we all do.”

Leo Valdez, while not a vehicle owner, did happen to have a convenient job at a local mechanic shop. His position had been a major help in previous calamities and maybe, Percy hoped, it would come in handy again. He, Jason, and Piper, all looked at Leo expectantly, desperate for some optimism in these trying times.

“Yeah man, doctor Leo is on the case! I’ll talk to Boss Man after school and see about getting us a set of wheels.”

The group took a collective sigh of relief.

“Honestly, Leo, what would we do without you?” Percy said, offering his knuckles. Leo responded with his own fist and they took part in the ancient ritual of bros. “Now that that’s out of the way, can you guys tell me a little more about the trip? Like, just what to expect and stuff?”

“You should expect to find Piper canoodling with a hot blonde at some point.”

“Leo!” Piper exclaimed, smacking his arm. “I thought we agreed not to talk about that!” Leo rubbed his arm and huffed loudly. Over the past few months, Piper had been noticeably short-fused when it came to Leo doing much of anything, and Percy was starting to worry.

Jason stepped in quickly. “Pipes, it’s Percy. We can tell him!” Piper conceded with a blush. Leo mumbled something under his breath while Percy wondered what could’ve happened on last year’s trip to cause Piper’s face to turn so red. He didn’t have to wonder for long, though, as Jason launched into the story.

“Okay, so, we’re in Miami at the festival, right? And me and Leo found some free pizza—they were just _giving it away,_ Perce, it was unbelievable—and we’re thinking _‘Dude! Score!’_ and we go to tell Piper and she’s nowhere to be found! Like, we totally misplaced our best friend. And, of course, we’re both freaking but eventually Leo-”

“I freakin’ find her making out with some chick she just met, and I’m like… what the hell?!” Leo interrupted, his hands flying around him to pantomime his surprise. Jason broke into laughter and Percy couldn’t help but join in.

“Piper, you absolute _fox!_ I can’t believe that!” Percy said. “You got her number, right? Where’s your secret girlfriend now?”

The beautiful girl buried her face in her hands. A moment passed, all eyes on her, and then she gave a minute shake of her head. Jason and Leo tutted at her like disappointed parents, clearly ashamed in her lack of ability to get the phone number of the mysterious girl she’d met at the festival.

“Oh, Pipes… you didn’t forget…”

“I did,” Piper conceded. “Unfortunately, I was tired from the trip, and a little tipsy, and I let her get away. I didn’t even get her name!”

Jason rubbed her knee in a comforting gesture. Although Percy knew there was nothing romantic between them (they’d been there, done that, Leo assured him), he couldn’t help the pang in his heart at the sight of it. But his moment of jealousy subsided when Jason removed his hand and leaned even closer to Percy. Their shoulders were pressed against each other and Percy could feel how Jason moved when he spoke:

“Hey, don’t stress too much about it, Beauty Queen. Maybe we’ll see her again this year and you can confess your undying love.”

Piper snorted. “Doubt it.”

## o0o

Mel Gibson was too old to play Hamlet. At least, that’s what Percy gathered after sitting in a cold room for nearly an hour in the dark. Ms. Hannigan sat behind her desk, her head nodding onto her ample chest, the banana she had been ravishing before precariously tucked under her chin.

The class was supposed to be analyzing the 1990 film and picking out discrepancies between it and the Shakespeare play it was based on, but most of the seniors were caught somewhere between pretending to pay attention to outright snapping pictures of young Helena Bonham Carter with the puppy filter. Percy tapped his pencil eraser on the desk and struggled with trying to find something to write down. Next to him, Piper doodled little stars in the margin of the notebook she’d copped from him.

“Hey,” she whispered. “Look at Banana-Hannigan.”

Percy followed her instructions. At the front of the room, their teacher, still sleeping, had somehow convinced the banana to hop into her mouth of it’s own free will and was slowly grinding it into mush with her teeth. Some of the banana had fallen into her cardigan, and the rest was steadily being devoured along with her coral lipstick.

“What do you think she’ll do when she gets to the peel?” he sent back in a hushed tone. Piper shook her head in horrified amazement. All thoughts of trying to complete the assignment flew out the window as the pair stared intently at the black hole that was their least favorite teacher’s mouth.

She never got to the peel. Instead, Percy and Piper were forced to be innocent bystanders to the most tragic banana-tastrophe either of them had ever witnessed. The uneaten portion of the fruit, along with the peel, fell from her lax grasp and the illusion came tumbling down before their eyes. Ms. Hannigan woke with a start, blinking haphazardly at the banana mush now decorating her shirt.

“Holy fuck,” Piper breathed. Percy covered his mouth to keep from laughing. “We should’ve made bets.”

“Next time, Pipes, I swear.”

Jason, a few seats ahead and to the right, turned to see the commotion. He raised an eyebrow at Percy, who mouthed _‘Hannigan’_ in response. A quick glance to the front of the room and Jason’s eyes returned, widening even further behind his glasses.

 _‘Be nice,’_ he mouthed back. There was no real scolding behind the command, though, evident in the smirk he was struggling to keep off his face. Out of the four of them, Jason was the only one who attempted to be nice to their teacher, a quality Percy greatly admired. He blew a playful kiss to Jason to express this admiration. Jason, in turn, turned a very nice shade of pink and looked away. Percy bit his lip and ducked his head.

“So, when are you going to do something about that?” Piper asked. She wasn’t bothering to keep her voice down anymore. Hannigan had fallen asleep again.

“‘Bout what?”

Piper rolled her eyes at him. “About your unquenchable thirst for Jason. You guys need to get together soon—I’m going to vom with all of this mutual pining.”

“First of all, Miss McLean, Percy Jackson does not _pine._ And last of all… I’ll make a move when the opportunity presents itself.” He put his hood up and his head down, trying to end the conversation. Of course, that wasn’t happening with Piper.

“Oh, I’m sure _no_ opportunities have presented themselves when you guys are cuddling in bed,” Piper said.

Percy sputtered. “We don’t _cuddle,”_ he said tersely. “We _men_ brace! Besides, we don’t sleep together or anything. I take the floor when he spends the night.”

“Oh my god, you give him your bed too? Practically married already.”

Percy decided not to respond to that. He retrieved his pencil from the floor where it had rolled from his desk and pretended to pay attention to the film. On screen, Hamlet had yet another angsty monologue in shit lighting. Piper didn’t press this time, choosing instead to turn her star covered paper into a plane that she aimed at Leo’s ear.

“Hey, you and Jase wanna ride with me and Leo over to the shop after school? Then, after Leo gets us some transportation, we can go to my place to drop off the car and all still be together for the trip.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Percy said. In truth, he wasn’t actually paying attention to a word Piper said. His gaze was focused on the blond head of hair at the front of the room, just visible in the dark room.

Jason’s ears were still red.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we'll get to see stuff from Leo's pov. i promise the story pics up more there!! Also, I was wondering if anyone would be interested in me including little snippets of the next chapter at the end of the current one. Just a sentence or two w/o context as a little teaser? Up to y'all. 
> 
> Leave a comment below or send me an ask on [my tumblr](http://artem-ace.tumblr.com/) ^.^ You can also check out my pjo/riordanverse blog [here](http://leovaldzz.tumblr.com/). Thanks for reading!! Let me know if you enjoyed the chapter and predictions for the trip :P love y'all, see you next Thursday!
> 
> xoxo,   
> Artem ((


	3. Leo III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo tries to find a solution to their lack of transportation, and reminiscences on his past, his job, and a dog named Peggy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Fic Playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/dianathehuntrr/playlist/2fqeipSbgfNxJfwhJf9uV9)
> 
>  
> 
> Chapter Songs:  
> [Sunday Morning](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2Cti12XBw4) by Maroon 5  
> [Young and Unafraid](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0eFx5a-FMg) by The Moth & the Flame 
> 
> Enjoy!

## Leo III

 

Leo had had a crap morning. Well, not more crap than usual, but certainly enough to complain about. Because he’d stayed up all night talking to Eloise, he slept right through his alarm, missed the bus, and was forced to call Piper to give him a ride. Not that there was anything wrong with Piper driving him—in fact, that would have been a great option for Leo’s daily routine had he and Piper’s relationship not taken a blow recently.

On the surface it was hard to tell that Piper was angry at him, but Leo had been by Piper’s side through bullies, boyfriends, and her father’s absence, and he knew when she was hurting; he’d just never been on the other side of it. He wasn’t sure what he’d done, but if Piper wasn’t going to talk to him about it, he wouldn’t bring it up. She couldn’t expect him to be a mind reader.

Piper’s car was ideal for a road trip. Plenty of legroom, comfy seats, and a CD player so they could take turns jamming to each other’s music. Leo had spent all week accumulating the best tunes to impress his friends, but if he couldn’t get a ride that accommodated something as cutting-edge as compact disks, it would have been for naught. Which would really suck. Leo was a big believer in music opening the door to the soul and he really felt that his copy of _Red_ (Taylor Alison Swift circa October 22nd, 2012) was the key to a successful trip. He was also curious to see what the others picked out, and if their choices would be tolerable for the three day drive down to Miami.

That is, if he was even able to obtain a car. Provided he did manage to lay his little elf hands on a vehicle, it was very unlikely his boss had one with a working CD player available to loan out to him. Leo had been a little wary when Piper offered up her car for the trip. As easy as it was for her to charm her way out of situations at school, her dazzling smile and sparkling eyes hit a wall when it came to her father’s assistant, Jane, the primary handler of her personal affairs. Jane was a stone cold, rock hard, daunting lady—void of all emotion. Getting Piper out of the house with her permission was almost impossible. Of course, she still managed to join their escapades by less orthodox methods. It was surprising that Jane had yet to have her windows barred. Not that she hadn’t threatened to.

Piper had gotten her father to override Jane’s decision for her to stay home this Spring Break, but it hadn’t stopped Jane from trying to ruin it. Despite the recent rift that had formed between them, Leo still felt his heart hurt for Piper’s situation. It wasn’t easy living without a parent around—should know. Leo was practically an expert on the absent parent thing, considering his mother was dead and his father was nothing but a distant memory of an old Polaroid photograph his mother used to carry around.

Leo sighed and fiddled with the playing card in his hands. He ran a finger over a tear in the corner, flicking it back with his thumb. The Queen of Spades smiled up at him. Beside him Piper sat back in her seat, glaring at the stoplight, her knuckles white around the steering wheel. Leo knew her anger was being misdirected toward the light, when really she was frustrated with Jane for sabotaging her plans, and felt like she had let her friends down.

“Hey,” he spoke up, folding the card and slipping it into his shirt pocket. “It’ll be fine, Pipes. I’ll get us a car. Bossman loves me! We’ll get there, alright?”

Piper hummed and relaxed a little in her seat as she tapped her nails impatiently. They would be there soon. Leo only hoped it would be as easy as he made it out to be to get something for the trip. Behind him, Percy sang along softly to the lyrics of _Hey, Soul Sister_ that were lightly playing from the speakers.

The light turned green.

 

## o0o

Known as Mr. Barry to his employees, Finbarr McGuffie was a seemingly stoic man, with a sizable stomach and an even larger heart. Despite the complete lack of Leo’s experience with car machinery and any qualifications, the old man had taken Leo under his wing and offered him an internship at the age of 14, after finding out about Leo’s home life—or lack of thereof.

At the age of 9, Leo had found out some things about how the world worked. People didn’t care about you if you didn’t have something to give in return. After losing his mother, he was met with many words intended with warmth, but smothered in false pretenses. Hearing that strangers were “sorry for his loss” and that his mother’s death was an “unfortunate accident” did nothing to comfort him. The loud, overstimulating environment of the foster homes he sojourned in didn’t help either. Any hope of one day having a home he belonged in declined more and more with each temporary set of parents choosing to send him on to another hesitant “family.”

His only solace was Jason and Piper. Leo’s one stroke of luck existed in him being allowed to attend the same school as his best friends since sixth grade—regardless of how many times he moved houses. Of course, it seemed a little less lucky when, freshman year, the trio took a hit when Jason and Piper started dating. Excluding Leo from the group was not his friends intent, but it was almost impossible to avoid feeling like a third wheel.

Leo began taking time for himself when he felt suffocated by his friends budding romance. “Taking time for himself” being a phrase which here means skipping school—a lot.

At fourteen, Leo knew skipping school was something to be frowned upon. He just didn’t care. And that’s how he ended up following a blind dog onto private property at 1pm on a Wednesday. Well—half blind, probably—a portion of the dog’s face was marred with a thick scar that ran over it’s eye, presumably impairing its vision. Not exactly in the condition to be running around the streets of Manhattan unattended.

He followed the pointer across the sidewalk, keeping an eye out for any harm that could come the dog’s way. When the canine turned suddenly and shuffled under a hole in a nearby chain link fence, Leo was forced to make a decision. Let the blind dog alone, or risk being arrested for trespassing, probably kicked out of his most recent home, and possibly separated from his best friends?

The answer was clear; Leo jumped the fence.

On the other side of the fence, Leo discovered that the dog had disappeared. He examined his surroundings. Dark gravel crunched beneath his feet, and to his right was the body of a pickup truck. In place of tires, four cinder blocks held the weight of it, and its windows were entirely void of glass. Adorning the side were faded purple flames, streaky and unfinished, as if the creator had gotten hungry and left mid-paint, only to be eaten by a bear in a horrific tragedy, never to return. Leo ran his fingers over truck’s side, letting the chipped, rough, surface take him back to simpler times—times when his mother was still alive.

Esperanza Valdez had taught her son the value of taking care of machines, especially ones that could take you from place to place. She’d had a special love for trucks, and Leo remembered the fondness in her eyes when she’d given him his first tool set and opened the hood of her engine for him for the first time. He used to dream of one day owning a truck of his own, and taking care of it just like she’d taught him.

That dream had burned down in the same fire that took his mother away from him.

A sharp bark chased his thoughts away. Leo remembered the reason he was in this junkyard in the first place: the dog. The barking ceased, but Leo had heard it come from behind a cadmium yellow mustang so he began to walk in the direction of the vehicle. Windows and tires intact, this car looked to be in great shape in contrast to the decrepit pickup. The paint job, while garish in color, was smooth and even, and it looked close to new.

 _Why would a fine set of wheels be sitting in a dump like this?_ Leo wondered. He got his answer the second he laid eyes on the opposite side of the car.

While one side of the car was picture perfect, the other was something from a nightmare. The aluminium of the car was delicately crushed inward, like a crumpled sheet of cloth. Shards of glass decorated the interior, causing the leather seats to glitter in the sunlight. It was impossible to imagine something powerful enough to result in such a disaster.

He wondered if anyone had been in the car.

“Hey! What are ye doing in my lot?”

Leo started at the voice. _Oh, shit, he’d gotten caught._ Looking for a quick escape, Leo ducked behind the vehicle. His foster parents had made it clear they wouldn’t put with him any longer if he got into any more trouble. There _had_ to be a way out that didn’t end in his arrest. The voice, deep and booming, continued. At least his face hadn’t been spotted yet—but that would change if he didn’t think fast.

The dog that had gotten him into this situation suddenly appeared by his side. Brown fur flooded his senses as he was pushed to the ground by the large pointer. Gravel dug into his back as he struggled against the canine. His face was wet with saliva.

“Dude! Get off, you’re going to get both of us in trouble!” he urged the dog. It was no use—the dog had given up on licking his face off and seemed to be content letting it’s head rest on his chest. Leo sighed and let his hands fall to his sides. The man would find him any minute.

“Hey! You! What are ye doing here? This ‘ere is private property!”

Leo came face to face with a large brown boot. Connected to the boot was a tree trunk of denim that went on for miles before finally being cut off by a low hanging beer belly, barely contained by a thin white tank top. From the position he was in, Leo couldn’t see the man’s face, but he doubted it was all smiles and rainbows. He gulped.

“Uh, hello, good afternoon sir! H-how are you doing?” Leo struggled to sit up, and the dog granted enough freedom so that he could lean on his elbows. This new angle allowed him to get a glimpse of the man’s auburn beard as he grunted in response. It also allowed him to see the shotgun held in a meaty fist. _Oh, shit._

“S-sorry for intruding on your lot sir—I, uh,” Leo stammered, eyeing the gun, “I was just, er, m-my dog!” That pooch got him into this mess; it was the least it could do to get him out of it. “My dog, he’s blind, you see, and he snuck in here through a hole in your fence there, and I had to get him out!”

The man backed up enough so Leo could see his gruff expression. So far, he didn’t seem to be buying the story. “That’s _yer_ dog?”

“Yessir!” Leo responded. He kept his voice even as the gun glinted, joyful in his misfortune. “So, uh, he and I are just going to get going now, if that’s alright Mr…?”

“Mcguffie.”

“Mr. Mcguffie, sir.”

Mcguffie lowered his brows. “Now tell me boy, and I’ll let ye go. What’s the name of this here dog?”

Leo thought back to when he was a boy. He’d had only one pet in his childhood: a goldfish his mother had been given at work. The one and only thing he had been responsible for, and it had died about two weeks later. It’s name had been Mickey.

“His name is Mickey.”

“Oh is it? Alright.” Mr. Mcguffie raised a brow. He straightened up and and crossed his arms over his broad chest. “Peggy!” he called, “let the kid up. I think we’re done here.”

At the sound of _her_ name, and the command of her master, the demon—er, dog—released him and loped over gaily to Mcguffie. She whined happily and nuzzled his knee with her head.

“Traitor,” Leo whispered. He refused to look up from the ground, knowing if he did, he’d have to face the reality of committing a crime, and any consequences that would come with it. His mind turned to the disappointed faces that were sure to be on his new parents’ faces. Robert and Jean weren’t the best foster parents, but they weren’t the worst either. Leo had been in enough homes to appreciate “parents” that at least pretended to care about where you were and what you were doing. Even with the threat of being kicked out, Leo had come to tolerate—maybe even _like_ his new guardians, and he’d really been trying to make things work. Not to mention, he might be separated from his friends.

But it was inevitable. Leo couldn’t stay out of trouble, apparent by his current situation. No matter what preemptive measures he took, he always ended up back in the dog house, thrown under the bus by the people who were supposed to take care of him. And this time, he really only had himself to blame.

A grimy hand pushed itself in front of his face, and his self deprecating thoughts were replaced by shock. He looked up at the sausage-esque fingers, and then craned his neck to see the bearded face of the man offering it. His eyes were pea green, pale in color, but more intense than the brightest green imaginable.

“Well, boy? You gonna take my hand or just spend all day staring at it?”

Leo took his hand. He was hauled to his feet in a matter of seconds, almost falling back flat on his ass when his feet didn’t immediately find purchase in the loose gravel.

“Shouldn’t a kid yer age be in school?”

“Yeah, probably,” Leo responded with a small shrug. For the past few weeks, he’d been skipping school more often than attending, and he wasn’t failing yet. It seemed, to him, the only real progress anyone made in school was wasting time until adulthood. The only reason he had to go was for Jason and Piper and the two had been occupied with each other as of late.

“Wher’re yer folks?” he asked. At his feet, Peggy snored softly. _Time for a nap, I guess,_ Leo thought, _I’d kill to be at home sleeping right now._

He knew he could lie. He could say, _Oh, yeah! Mom and Dad, my loving parents, are waiting for me at our home. Better get going!_ But there was no reason to. Lying wouldn’t get him out of trouble—most of the time it didn’t even get him out of his homework. Besides, Mcguffie didn’t seem like someone to give much of a shit about his poor Orphan Annie life.

Leo exhaled. “My father never really was up for the whole, you know, dad thing, and my mother died when I was nine. I could give you the information to contact my foster parents, but chances are I’ll be out by the end of the week for skipping school anyway. I’m sorry for trespassing, I was being stupid, but I’ve just had a really rough day so, like, if you want to shoot me or whatever, I’d really appreciate it if you’d get it over with.”

The mountain of a man that was Mcguffie bent to look Leo in the eye. He clapped a hand on Leo’s shoulder that was probably meant to be comforting, but came off as more meaty than anything.

“You got a name, kid?”

“Leo Valdez.”

“Well Mr. Valdez, how’d you like to work with machines?”

After that initial meeting, Leo started an internship with Mr. Mcguffie, learning what he needed to take over as his assistant. The position, at the time, was held by Charles Beckendorf, four years Leo’s senior. Leo took over the job when he was 16, and legally able to join the workforce.

Four years later and McGuffie had become not only a boss, but a mentor of sorts for Leo. If anyone could help him get a car for the trip, the mechanic could. Leo inhaled as he entered the shop, taking in the familiar smell of oil and tires. The shop was his home away from home—or rather, just his home in general. Through his friend problems, first love, and moving out to finally live on his own, the shop (and by extension, McGuffie) had been there for him to fall into. Losing himself in his work was the only way Leo could step out of his masquerade for a few precious moments. This repair shop had saved him.

McGuffie was under a car when Leo stepped into the garage. The concrete was familiar under his boots. “Yo, Barry, you got a second?”

“Fer you, Leo? I ‘ave all the time in the world.” _Swoosh._ Mcguffie rolled out from under the car. He wiped his face with a greasy rag, but it didn’t do much to fix the situation on his face. For years, Leo was convinced that Mcguffie was simply stained from all the sludge he did business with daily. That is, until he cleaned himself up to attend Beckendorf’s funeral. Charlie’s mother had lent Leo one of his old suits so he could take part in the mourning. Leo had been embarrassed to return it, it being covered with tears and all.

Mcguffie squinted at him. “You don’t have work today, do ya? Coulda sworn you were leavin for that big fancy trip o’ yers.”

“Actually that’s what I’m here about. Could you do me a favor?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can Mcguffie help the gang out?? Why is Piper mad at Leo?? WHO is Leo talking to on his phone?? WILL THEY EVER ACTUALLY HIT THE ROAD?????? All of this and more will be answered next Thursday!!!
> 
> Thanks for Reading! Let me know if you have any questions!! ily all and pls review. 
> 
> [My Main Tumblr](artem-ace.tumblr.com) (talk to me here!!)
> 
>  
> 
> [Pjo/Riordanverse Blog](leovaldzz.tumblr.com)


	4. Leo IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo finds a kinda sorta alternative for Piper’s car and passes it to the others for approval. In this chapter, we also find out who Leo’s been messaging, and finally get on the road.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry that this is late lmao school is a bitch. didn't have a chance to update the playlist but i;ll do it tomorrow dw my friends. if u want to listen along hte playlist can be found [here](https://open.spotify.com/user/dianathehuntrr/playlist/2fqeipSbgfNxJfwhJf9uV9). Songs for this chapter are Lonely People by Orla Gartland and Overwhelming by Jon Bellion

“Can I ask you a question?” **  
**

From atop his work bench, Leo let his feet swing freely in the air. Mcguffie didn’t look at him from his spot near the front right tire of the 1988 Ford Econoline. He was concentrating on airing up the flat and checking for any tire damage. Leo supposed he could help, but he also supposed it was a one man job, and he wasn’t really on the clock, so he left it up to his boss.

The van itself was like something out of Scooby Doo—just less inspired by the use of recreational marijuana. At one point, the paint was probably a bright two-toned burnt orange, but it had faded over time to a dull, muddy color that had yet to be named. Mcguffie had relinquished the van immediately after hearing his plight. Despite the four flat tires, and the dingy paint job, the van had no real issues. Everything important was intact, and it ran perfectly.

The interior was a little messy, a vacant space occupying where a seat in the second row belonged. Evident by the torn fabric of the floor, a previous owner had decided that seven seats were just too damn many, and had taken it upon himself to tear one of them out of the car.  The remaining seats were an off white cream color with stains of varying _I-don’t-even-want-to-know-what-the-hell-that’s-from_ -ness. There was a bench seat in the back that would be more comfortable to sleep on than it would have been in Piper’s tiny Prius, so really, this van was an upgrade. At least, Leo hoped he could convince the others that this was true.

“You say something, kid?” Mcguffie asked. His eyes were bright in the dimly lit repair shop.

Leo cleared his throat. “Uh, yeah, can I ask you a question?”

“Well, you just did, didn’tcha?” Mcguffie broke into robust laughter and Leo joined in half-heartedly. “I’m just kidding, my boy. What canna do for ye?”

“It’s just—Piper’s been acting weird for a while. Ever since I started dating Eloise, she’s been all pissy and I can’t figure it out! I want to bring it up, but I think it’ll make her mad so… What do you think I should do?”

“Well, it sounds to me like she might be jealous.”

Leo frowned. “Of Eloise? That’s impossible. Piper’s a lesbian, and even if she wasn’t, I doubt she’d want to date me. We’re just friends.”

“Maybe she wants yer girl then,” Mcguffie considered with a shrug. Leo shook his head. Piper didn’t want Eloise, especially not with her mind still on the girl she’d met last year. Not to mention, Piper and Eloise hardly interacted when Eloise was in the states. At the time, Piper and Jason were together again, after three years of on again, off again dating. It wasn’t until the summer prior to their senior year that Piper began to identify as gay, rather than bisexual, chalking up her relationship with Jason to “compulsive heterosexuality,” whatever that was. Not that Jason really minded—he had Percy to occupy his time now.

Leo’s phone vibrated in his pocket. _Eloise._ What money Leo didn’t spend on his rent and groceries went to paying for a ridiculous data plan that allowed him to contact his girlfriend, even when she was home in France. He pulled out his phone to read her message.

 **Elo-cheese <3 [3:36 PM]: **hey, leo! have you left for your trip yet ^3^?

 **You [3:37 PM]:** Not yet bby. Plans got a little screwy, but I fixed it bc im amazeballs.

 **You [3:37 PM]:** How r u my luv??

He tacked on a few kissy emojis to the end before sending. It was after nine, her time, so she was probably getting ready for bed. Eloise was a big morning person, often waking up before Leo went to sleep. He could count the number of times he’d been blessed with seeing her bed head before falling asleep on one hand, and he treasured each one as a gift.

“Maybe she’s tired of ye always being on yer phone.” Mcguffie’s voice cut through his thoughts. He was a lot closer than Leo remembered, staring down at him with raised brows.

Leo sighed and shoved his phone back into one of his many pockets. “Oh, come on, don’t ‘kids these days’ me, Barry. I’m young and in love.”

Mcguffie grunted at him, wiping his hands on a rag.

“Is the van ready?” Leo asked. He hopped down from the workbench, and strutted to the driver’s side of the car. The door was already open, so he threw himself into the seat and tightened his hands around the wheel. He caught his own brown eyes in the rearview mirror and smiled at his reflection. Screw Piper, this trip was going to be fun no matter what. It was the last chance for the four of them to be together before going their separate ways, and he was going to make the most of it.

Mcguffie’s face appeared in the passenger side window. “Let’s give ‘er one last test before ye hit the road, yeah?”

“Sure thing, Bossman.”

Leo snatched the keys from the beaten down console and introduced them to the ignition lovingly. _C’mon baby, you can do it,_ he chanted in his head. He poured his heart into the van and in return it gave a sickly but effective sawing noise. Not the purr he was hoping to elicit, but good enough.

“Are we good to go?” Mcguffie asked from outside the car.

“My man, we are _great_ to go,” Leo said, grinning widely. This was going to be a spring break road trip for the ages.

## o0o

 

Leo yanked the sheet with a flourish, uncovering the ghastly sight behind it. The Econoline shined in all of its glory, offering promises of a memorable trip. At least, to Leo, it did. He used his elbow to rub off some grease that had made its way onto the hood.

“So, whaddya think?” He asked, beaming. His friends faces ranged from relief (Piper) to delight (Percy) to thinly veiled concern (Jason). The blond in question bit his lip.

“Is it… safe?”

Leo scoffed. “‘Is it safe?’ Jason, my dude, I can personally guarantee your safety in this beauty right here,” he said confidently. “And look,” he added, “she’s even named after you! The perfect pair!” Jason let his palm run over the letter keyed into the passenger side door: _G-R-A-C-I-E._ He frowned as he traced the letters.

“Oh, c’mon, Jason,” Percy laughed, yanking open the door to expose the messy interior. He gave an exuberant whoop at the sight of the missing seat, jumping into the van and turning around to poke his head out. “This is fucking amazing, Leo. I’m in love you with you right now, like, fuck, this baby is _gorgeous!”_

“It’s definitely… retro,” Piper added. She clapped a hand on Jason’s shoulder and joined Percy in the van to survey its untold treasures. Leo grinned and ran to the driver’s side.

His friends seemed content with the van, and it looked like their trip was a go. He was happy that he’d been able to find a solution to their problem. The vehicle may not have been the prettiest thing in the world but it’s what would get them to Miami. It didn’t matter that driver’s seat sagged when someone sat on it, or that there was a decade’s worth of dried chewing gum stuck in the CD player. As long as he had the company of his best friends, Leo was satisfied.

He checked his phone for a message from Eloise. There were a few twitter notifications and two messages waiting for him.

 **Ello-cheese <3 [ 3:39 PM ]:** i am good!! i miss you so much :,(

 **Ello-cheese <3 [ 3:41 PM ]: **leo?

It was now a quarter till four. He hadn’t meant to make her wait so long. What if she had gone to bed thinking he was ignoring her?”

 **You [ 3:46 PM ]:** Sorry!!! So sorry!!

 **You [ 3:47 PM ]:** Got caught up w car stuff. I miss u 2!! Soso much!!

 **You [ 3: 47 PM ]:** U stil awake bby??

He waited for her response _. Is she sleeping?_ he wondered. His teeth worried his bottom lip and he drummed his fingers on the van’s console. She wasn’t mad at him, was she? He’d only been away for a few minutes—okay _ten_ minutes. That was eight minutes more than his average reply time. If she was upset at him—

His phone brightened. Eloise was typing.

 **Elo-cheese <3 [ 3:50 PM ]:** Dw about it!!!! Your fun, Leo!!

 **Elo-cheese <3 [ 3:50 PM ]: **You’re*

 **Elo-cheese <3 [ 3:50 PM ]:** Fun**

 **Elo-cheese <3 [ 3:50 PM ]:** FINE**

Leo smiled at his phone. Eloise had a less-than-friendly relationship with autocorrect, hence why she preferred to message from her computer. Another message came through consisting of approximately forty red face emojis. If she was sending messages from her phone, she must’ve gotten into bed for the night.

 **You [ 3:51 PM ]:** U in bed sweet <3?

 **Elo-cheese <3 [ 3:51 PM ]:** mhmm, tired tonight ;=;

 **You [ 3:52 PM ]:** noooooooo... Pic b4 u leave?

He added the emoji with a single tear to express how tragic it was for her to leave him so soon. Long distance sucked. All Leo wanted was for Eloise to be with him, or him with her, holding her small frame in his arms and making her laugh until she shut him up with her lips on his. He sighed. Even the little dots next to her picture served as a reminder that she was so far out of his reach.

There was an unpleasant grating sound as the passenger-side door opened and Jason hopped into the seat next to him. He pulled the seat belt over his broad chest and stuck the tongue into the buckle, pulling the belt to confirm its security.

“We’re going to follow Piper and Percy to her house so she can drop the car off. Then we’ll hit the road,” he informed him. The other two were already in Piper’s car, starting to back out of the lot.

“Right,” Leo said, checking his mirrors. He coaxed the van to life and put her in drive. Eloise occupied his thoughts on the way to Piper’s. If Jason hadn’t been in the car, he would’ve checked his phone to see if she responded. As it stood, Jason would freak if Leo even brushed his fingers against his phone, let alone read his messages, so Leo was forced to let distance come between him and his girlfriend once again.

## o0o

The van had no air conditioning. This, Leo discovered after a twenty minute drive to the nicer neighborhood where Piper and Jane resided. The heat wasn’t sweltering, nor was it unbearable—but it was annoying. By the time he put the van in park and pulled his phone from the cup holder, his shirt was sticking to him the slightest bit. Gross.

 **Elo-cheese <3 [ 3:53 PM ]: **check snap ;)

Leo’s heart sped up and he exited the app to open snapchat. He had some snaps from Percy sent during the school day, but he ignored those in favor of Eloise’s. After the incoming picture finally loaded, he pressed the screen, and was rewarded with his girlfriend’s beautiful face.

His heart got caught in his throat. From his phone, Eloise smiled up at him, her brown skin made golden in the soft light of the lamp next to her. Dark freckles dotted themselves across the bridge of her nose, evidence of her time spent outside as a lifeguard in training. Her dark curls threatened to spring free of the scrunchie that held them back, some having already escaped to perfectly frame her face. Despite her face being free of makeup, her lashes were thick and almost completely covered her honey brown eyes that Leo loved so much.

She was breathtaking.

He quickly screenshotted the picture so that he wouldn’t have to rely on his memory to keep that picture in his mind forever—not that he could forget it anytime soon. The snapchat that followed was a black background—presumably her bedroom after turning her lamp off, with a bright pink heart drawn over it. Over the heart were the words “Night bby. Love nd miss you!” followed by a kiss emoji. Leo blew a kiss at the screen. Then he sent back a selfie with red hearts draw over his eyes.

He captioned it “Me wen I see how cute u r.” While he waited for the others, he tapped through Percy’s snapchats. Percy’s pics were mostly of himself and Jason, with captions about how bored he was in class. Leo didn’t bother responding. Instead, he closed the app to go to his saved photos and stare at his most recent addition to his “bby grrl” album.

Eloise’s pixilated features didn’t do her real-life face much justice, but Leo was still dumbfounded by his luck. He’d never dreamed he could call someone as gorgeous and kind-hearted as Eloise his girlfriend, but here he was miles away, missing her every day. He ran his thumb over her smiling face with a sigh. If God was real, he must have some twisted mind for giving someone so perfect only to take her away from him and set her halfway across the world.  If only—

“Leo!” Piper said sharply. _When did she and Jason switch spots?_ She gave Leo a look that made him feel like this wasn’t the first time she’d tried to get his attention. He shrugged her off her glare and dropped his phone into his lap.

“Yes, your majesty?”

Piper rolled her eyes. “The schedule,” she said slowly, enunciating her words. “Do you have it?”

Right, the schedule. The schedule of the rotation of who would be driving on their trip. The schedule Leo was supposed to make last night. The schedule he ignored to instead Skype with Eloise. _Oops._

“About that…” he trailed off, smiling sheepishly. Piper opened her mouth to respond, probably rudely, but Percy cut her off.

“Actually I wrote up a schedule the other day, just in case. Here.” He handed Piper a folded up piece of notebook paper. On it was a coffee stain, a doodle of a stick figure fighting a scribble monster, and a hastily written list of four names a few times over. “I put Leo first—hope you don’t mind, man.”

Leo didn’t mind. The schedule he made would’ve been a lot more detailed than Percy’s, but he couldn’t point that out without addressing the reality that it was his failure to complete what he was responsible for that led to them resorting to Percy’s messy outline. To be fair, he _did_ manage to get them transportation after Piper was forced to bail.

Not that it was something he would bring up with Piper frowning at the state of the CD player. She grimaced at the gray wad of ABC gum that had come away on her fingers, and found a napkin to wipe it on. Leo wrinkled his nose.

“Hey, at least we have a working radio!” he said, trying to keep things light. He pressed the dial to power it on and was met with a low static. A nervous laugh rose in his throat as he turned the dial, searching for a station the prehistoric radio could pick up. Eventually, the tune of Enrique Iglesias’ version of “Hallelujah” broke through the static, faint, but determined.

“Who doesn’t love Shrek,” Percy commented.

Piper grinned. “Shrek is love, Shrek is life.” The boys groaned, but Leo offered his fist for the effort that went into reviving dead memes. Piper accepted it gratefully, applauding herself on the joke.

“Alright,” Jason cut in. “Let’s hit the road then, yeah?”

“Let’s do it!” Leo agreed, backing out of his space. He swiveled the car around, then put it in drive to speed to the curb. “But first,” he said, slowing to a stop at the stop sign, “we need some food.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed!!! leave a comment if u did ^.^ (or if u didn't lmao..)
> 
> also!!!!! annoucement!!!!! i'm looking for a new beta so if ur interested message me at my tumblr for more details :3 if y'all ever need anythign that's where i'm most likely to answer. 
> 
> ALSO!!!!! more important annoucement!!!!!! I want to move update days to sundays. originally i wanted to update thursdays bc jercy thursdays used to be a thing i did but right now it just does NOT work w my schedule. let me kno if anyone has like concerns or objections or anything!! if not the next update will be sunday january 22. 
> 
> okay das all ily 
> 
> xoxo,  
> Artem ((
> 
>  
> 
> [my tumblr](artem-ace.tumblr.com)
> 
>  
> 
> [pjo/riordanverse blog](leovaldzz.tumblr.com)


	5. Jason V

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang hit the road and make a stop at a gas station for some snacks and a pee break. Jason is super queer for his bff and Piper's milkshakes brings all the boys to the yard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lol im back sorry for randomly disappearing lmao but also dont expect timely updates anymore ly im not going to do chapter songs anymore unless y'all request it bc i dont think anyone was listenign anyway oops. hope u enjoy :3

Jason’s stomach lurched at the idea of reading in the car for the entire trip. Not that he didn’t find spending his Spring Break reading and analyzing a book about straight people making bad decisions utterly delightful, but he did suffer from kinetosis, a fancy term that here means car sickness. It didn’t help that he’d eaten two burgers from Burger King, and half of Percy’s fries—in addition to his own. The words swam off the page even more than usual and he dropped the book in defeat. **  
**

“You okay there, Jase?” Percy asked, genuine concern stitching his thick eyebrows together. “You’re looking a little pale.”

He brushed his fingers against Jason’s forehead, smoothing his hair back and mom-checking his forehead. A warm heat unfurled itself across Jason’s features, starting at his neck and working it’s way up. Jason moved himself away from Percy, lest the other boy mistake his… whatever for a fever.

“I’m fine,” Jason assured him. “Just need to take a break from reading for a second—carsick.”

Percy accepted his explanation with a nod, leaning back in his seat. The two of them had made a home of sorts in the back seat of the Econoline. A blanket Jason had brought was shared between the two of them, and Percy held the accompanying pillow close to his chest. Without the seat in front of him, Percy’s legs had the freedom to extend to their hearts desire, yet he still chose to tuck them under himself. Jason would’ve been frustrated with him for blatantly rebelling against comfortable seating habits if he wasn’t so cute.

“It’s getting dark anyway.”

Percy’s sudden comment through Jason for a loop. He’d been too busy staring at him to remember they were having a conversation.

“Hm?”

“It’s too dark to read anyway. You can just get back to it tomorrow,” Percy elaborated. He was right; in the past few minutes the sky outside had changed from a rosy sunset to a dusky navy color, the sun having retired after a long day’s work. There wasn’t enough light to read by.

Jason could’ve argued that, with the aide of innovations in illumination technology (aka the flashlight on his cell phone), he’d have plenty of reading light. But, in all honesty, he’d reached the point of no return. He was done reading for the night.

“Want to play ‘I Spy’?” Jason offered.

Percy grinned at him, a wide, crooked smile that reached his eyes, and then some. “Hell yeah!”

They recruited Piper and Leo to their cause, and the group played a few friendly rounds of the game. Super friendly.

“You said it was orange!” Leo said, gritting his teeth. From his new position in the second row of seats, he could see Leo’s knuckles turn white from his tightening grip on the wheel. Jason prepared himself for the onslaught that would follow.

“It is orange! That sign was _clearly_ blood orange!” Percy shot back. He had to yell to be heard from the back of the van and Jason shrunk down in his seat.

 _“‘Blood orange’._ ” Leo mimicked. “You’re so pretentious.” Percy gasped. “Shut up,” Leo seethed. “It’s fucking red!”

“I have to pee!” Piper interrupted, putting a stop to the exchange before it could escalate further.

## o0o

It is a universal fact that gas station bathrooms exist on their own plane of existence, separate from the constraints of reality. Normally, Jason wasn’t a big fan of graffiti, especially in bathrooms, but something about the thought of being 10 feet away from both a shelf of expired candy and a license plate with his name on it, made the words “Rick waz here” all the more insightful.

A phallic work of art was, unfortunately, directly in his line of sight as he relieved himself in the stations one toilet. He was the last of the group to have the chance to use the facilities, and by the time he’d washed his hands and entered the main building, the group had split up into the different corners of the shop. Percy was by the candy display. In one hand he held a bag of Sour Patch Kids and in the other he had Jolly Ranchers. He frowned at the two sweets, seemingly weighing his options.

Jason went to him.

“Hey,” he greeted. Percy’s face lit into a grin when his eyes flickered up to meet Jason’s and the blond’s heart fluttered violently in his chest at the sight of it.

“Hey you,” Percy replied, hip-checking him softly. He held the candy out for Jason’s inspection, wordlessly asking him to make the decision.

Jason considered. “Which do you want more?” he asked, taking them both in his own hands. Percy rolled his eyes at him.

“Both or I wouldn’t be asking you.”

“Get both, then.”

“I can’t get both,” Percy argued. “That’s excessive.”

“You’re excessive,” Jason countered, resisting the urge to stick his tongue out. Percy looked at him with eyes so tired, he wanted to wrap him up in a blanket and hide him away for a few hours. But Jason couldn’t do that; at least, not without raising questions. And he didn’t need questions, not now anyway.

Still, he could try and brighten up the other boy just a little, right?

“Get the Sour Kids,” Jason said. “I’ll buy the Jolly Ranchers for myself, and take out the blue ones for you, yeah?”

The dark circles under Percy’s eyes were almost completely hidden when he smiled. “You know me so well, Grace.”

 _I know him well._ Jason wanted tattoo the words on his heart, or at the very least on his stomach to put an end to the hurricane that rooted itself inside. It may only be a simple thing like candy, but Jason _knew_ Percy, in a way Leo and Piper didn’t, and hearing it said out loud was like a ton of bricks being thrust upon him at once. They all said the same thing: _He wants you to know him more._

And, god, did Jason want to. He wanted to know more than Percy’s favorite candy, or his obsession with the color blue. What he wanted to know were the quiet things—things held close to Percy’s heart. Secrets he had yet to tell him, and his deepest fears. He wanted to know what it was like to fall asleep to the sound of Percy’s breathing and wake up to the sight of him drooling with his dark hair tousled from the pillow, and still be excited to sleep next to him again. He wanted to know what Percy’s sick voice sounded like, in person; he’d heard it once before, over the phone, and it’d been enough to make his stomach stir.

Jason didn’t let himself think about it often, but he wanted to know what Percy tasted like. He imagined it was blue.

Percy was close enough to him right now that he could find out if he wanted. Through the plastic of the candy bags, their hands were connected. Almost touching, but not quite. Just out of reach.

 _Is it weird that I haven’t said anything?_ Jason worried. He searched Percy’s eyes for signs of confusion or uncomfort but found none. Though in his head, he knew his feet were firmly planted on the discolored tile of a gas station in East Brunswick, Jason couldn’t help but feel like he was drowning in the sea, losing grip on the tether that once held him.

It was exhilarating.

While it could be chalked up to a trick of the light, in that moment Jason swore Percy’s face was moving closer to his own. Idly, he wondered why there was such a stigma surrounding boys and makeup. He’d always had a thing for lipstick. Then, he thought better of it; Percy’s mouth was inviting enough without the pink gloss.

What he may have done in that moment was interrupted by a young tragic upstart known as Leo Valdez.

“Hey, fuckos, what’s the haps?” Leo said in way of greeting. “I got some snacks for us. How’s the candy coming?”

“Good!” Percy replied. At the arrival of his other best friend, Jason was suddenly pulled back into reality and far away from whatever fantasy world his mind had created. Percy was a respectable two feet away with his Sour Patch Kids held to his chest, showing no sign of awareness of what had just occurred.

Jason forced a smile. “Yeah, we got the fruity and the sours… chocolate next? Piper likes Reeses, that okay?”

The two boys nodded in agreement. In Leo’s arms, a rough estimate of about 16 Slim Jims threatened to slip at any given moment. Accompanying the sticks of over processed meat blend, was a multitude of even more over processed meat blend, known as Beef Jerky.

“Uh, Leo?” Percy asked.

Leo gave a noncommittal groan in response, focusing on his phone. After a prompt from Percy (namely a harsh jab in the side), Jason cleared his throat.

“Valdez!” Jason said sharply, snapping his fingers. “You here with us, Lover Boy?”

The distracted boy whipped his head up to meet Jason’s eyes. His elfish ears perked up and, in his surprised state, a few of the Slim Jims slipped from his grip. In an attempt to grab them, he lost a dozen more, and dropped to his knees in defeat.

Both of the boys knelt to help Leo gather the sticks. Jason froze when he felt Percy’s hand close around his over a few of the packages. His mouth went dry as he followed the path from Percy’s tan fingers up to his tired green eyes. They flickered over to Leo momentarily, then returned to Jason as Percy tilted his heads, communicating silently. _Who’s gonna tell him?_ Jason translated. He nodded. _I will._ His shoulders dropped when the pressure of Percy’s hand left his own.

“This sure is a lot of, er, meat,” he tried, hoping Leo understood. All Jason received was a blank stare. He made another attempt, clearer this time: “Piper is a vegetarian.”

Leo’s face fell. While Jason didn’t want to accuse him of forgetting that their best friend of 6 years had been a vegetarian for the past 3, Leo looked so apologetic he had to wonder.

“Right—shit—sorry. I know that.” Leo fumbled around for the rest of the Slim Jims and stood up abruptly. He leapt up so suddenly that he swayed on his thin legs and had to balance himself on the shelf. “I was distracted. Eloise and I were just talking about these babies the other day and she said she misses them. She says they don’t really have them over there, and I guess I just—sorry. I’ll put like half of them back and exchange them for some, uh…”

His dark curls shook as he searched around for a replacement.

“Pretzels?” he suggested, pulling out a bag from beside him. They were in the traditional twisted form, not the sticks that Jason himself preferred, but he was sure Piper would appreciate the thought. He nodded his approval.

Percy spoke up. “Uh, I can take the extra Slim Jims back to the case if you guys want to go ahead and meet up with Pipes so we can leave.”

He rubbed the back of his neck with his the palm of his hand. It was a nervous habit that Jason had grown accustomed to. After a switching of items and a few “see you later”s, Jason and Leo made their way to the cash register.

The register was made of a closed in ring, with a door for easy access. Standing behind the counter was a single, exhausted woman in her early thirties, passing the time with a sudoku puzzle. Only three other people remained in the store: Percy, Piper, and a guy with a Slurpee and a smirk who was trying a little too hard to pique Piper’s interest.

Jason almost felt bad for the guy. Cool guys like him were always trying to pick up his best friend, and it was never fruitful. Out of all the guys in the world, he was the one and only Piper would ever hold a romantic relationship with. Though he knew it was because she was not interested in men in the least, he still found it kind of flattering. He wanted a t-shirt announcing it: _Limited Edition Jason Grace, the Only Boy to Ever Date Piper Mclean, Beauty Queen._

Of course, he’d never tell her that. She’d kill him.

Her face of disinterest, Jason knew well. She wore it any time some sleazy guy tried to pick her up. Still, they never picked up on it, taking her forced smile and glazed-over eyes as a sign that they were “wearing her down.” Neither he nor Leo did anything but watch. Piper preferred to take care of herself, something they had both learned the hard way.

Percy joined the boys but didn’t say anything. He stood on the other side of Leo, instead of in his usual spot next to Jason. A frown appeared on Jason’s face, but he tried not to let it get to him. He worried that Percy somehow read his thoughts when they were in the candy aisle, and would want nothing to do with him. But he wouldn’t avoid Jason completely because of that one incident, would he?

He thought of his other infractions. Staring at Percy in the van, always standing just a little too close, practically living at his house—maybe he’d finally crossed a line. Percy knew he was bisexual. Jason had come out to him before staying over for the first time, just in case Percy would be uncomfortable. If he didn’t have a problem then, then why now?

Jason knew why. Back then, he hadn’t felt the same way about Percy as he did now. What exactly to call that feeling, he didn’t know. For now he was content calling it a crush, but he wasn’t sure how easy it would be to squash if he needed to.

Eventually, the guy left, but not before slipping his number into Piper’s hand and winking. Poor guy probably thought he was on his way to getting lucky. Piper popped her gum and shoved the slip of paper into her pocket without looking at it.

“He wrote it down on actual paper?” Percy asked. “What a pretentious—he knows you can just plug in the numbers on a phone, right?”

“It’s not as ‘authentic’ apparently,” Piper snorted. “I kind of want to keep it though, for the laughs.”

Leo cut in. “You should see how many you get!”

“I bet I could get more,” Percy scoffed good-naturedly.

Something about Percy getting random girls’ phone numbers didn’t sit well with Jason. He chalked it up to the car sickness. As a group, they made their way to the counter with their trip essentials in hand.

“A competition then,” Leo continued, his hands flying. “Whoever gets the most phone numbers by the time we get to Miami wins.”

“The prize?” Piper asked, smiling as the cashier rang their items up.

“Bragging rights and any five items from the Taco Bell menu.”

Piper considered this. “Alright I’m in.”

“Me too,” Percy added. They shook on it. After dropping the shake, Piper paid for the snacks and together the four of them took the bags to the van. Because it was Spring in New Jersey, the slight chill of the night bit through the thin material of Jason’s sweatshirt. Jason was in charge of carrying the savory foods, and he did so with great care, tossing them onto the console like a sack of potatoes.

As much as he wanted to climb back to his spot next to Percy (who, incidentally, also kept the candy with him), it was his turn to drive. He took the keys from Leo and strapped himself into the driver’s seat. Once he made sure everyone was properly buckled, he adjusted his mirrors and revved the engine. Leo sat next to him, giving him an encouraging smile. Behind him, he could feel Piper’s presence radiating excitement.

Jason felt the buzz flow through his seat into his chest. It was Spring Break. He had a week of free time with the three greatest people in his life.

He put the car in drive.

**Author's Note:**

> Next Chapter will be available this Thursday. 
> 
> Feel free to comment below and leave a review/comment/question. You can follow my tumblr for writing updates outside of the fic, and I'm more likely to respond there ^.^ have a wonderful day/night and Happy Holidays!!! 
> 
> xoxo,  
> Artem ((
> 
> [Main Blog](http://artem-ace.tumblr.com/) (where writing updates are typically posted)
> 
> [PJO/Riordanverse](http://leovaldzz.tumblr.com/) Blog (just for fun pjo stuff :P)


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